Say Yes
by nikkasa
Summary: Never, not once did his calculations tell him this would happen. Her agenda didn't include anything about love, and definitely not with him. They were also both never wrong, or at least, not completely. Until now, they were both too good for this thing, these so-called "feelings"…right?
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** So this is my first My Candy Love fanfiction without the main character as an original one. Posting this prologue chapter to see the reactions from you guys. I would greatly appreciate it! Inspiration just decided to strike, and I would like to let it carry me as far as it would go! So without further ado, here is "Say Yes"

Add me on MCL : lostconcoctions (consistency is key, am I right?)

* * *

Prologue

I did a quick once-around look at my schedule.

It was full.

It was always full.

No one realized how busy I actually was, or how many things I had on my plate. I looked like a useless minion to the blonde Bristol queen. There was only me to blame for that though, hanging out with Amber made it seem like I was an airhead too.

That's right, she's an airhead. And that's right, I know it fully well.

What no one understands is having an airhead friend is very useful, especially when she's willing to go to any lengths to get whatever she wants. Being the person I am, I am extremely persuasive without her knowing it. After some time, she does something she thinks she wants, when in reality, it was an idea I suggested over lunch.

I'm not evil, it's just business.

Nathaniel knows this all too. It was inevitable that him and I would become more than acquaintances. I would even go so far as call him a close friend. Of course, not out loud. Amber would have my car rigged to see me in an accident once I decided to do something stupid like that.

But it was true. He was the only one at par with me through everything, and we worked together on countless cases and projects. But while he was in the light—having been in the Student Council ever since he was in diapers—I was in the background, making appointments, calling for meetings, dealing with the unfathomable. Nathaniel dealt with the people, the principal, the structures and aesthetics of things. This was our perfect and always equal arrangement. I still had no idea how he was twins with Amber. Twins, my God. He got all the brains, absolutely all of it. She got all the arrogance.

There was nothing to interrupt me now, not today. And even if there was, I would have it smoothed out in no time. That was just who I am.

My phone rang.

"Charlotte, no phones at the table." my mother admonished, adding in her signature harsh look with her hazel eyes.

"It's important, Mom." I said calmly.

"Put it away, now."

I glanced at the screen. It was Nathaniel Bristol.

Calling at seven in the morning? This had to mean something.

"Mom, let me just—"

" _Charlotte."_ Now my Dad had joined in. His word was final. I shrugged back down on my seat and bit into the buttered toast set in front of me.

"Lotty?" the little voice piped through the tense atmosphere. I looked over at my little sister, Hannah, who was so little in her chair that I could only see her eyes peering over the tabletop. Only she could call me Lotty. If anyone else tried, they would walk around with my penmanship inked on their cheeks after I smacked them with my clipboard.

"Yes, Han?" I raised my pierced eyebrow.

"Why are Mommy and Daddy always mad at you?" she asked innocently. I smirked.

"Because Lotty likes to do schoolwork all the time." I answered sweetly.

"I thought doing schoolwork was good?" She asked. "Or is it bad because Mommy and Daddy don't want you to do it—"

"Hannah, don't listen to your sister." My mom cut in. "You can do schoolwork, just not at the table. It is good to do it."

"But, but I always do my maths on this table!" Hannah cried, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Aw Han, don't cry." I chirped. I was going to say something more but my eyes caught sight of the wall clock.

7:10.

"I'm off." I announced, rising from my seat and grabbing my keys from the bowl stationed at the kitchen counter. The last thing I heard was Hannah bawling and my Mother trying to silence her, before the front door shut behind me.

It took me years to save up for my car, but I had done it. I was young, but I promised myself I would be driving an Acura as my first car. And knowing myself, I was not about to settle.

This was why I was driving a large white Acura to school.

When I arrived at S.A.H., the halls were already busy. This was unusual because normally, I arrived before most students. The noise shouldn't be starting until a quarter to eight.

No one bothered me as I walked through the gossiping, loud teenagers, clipboard in hand. No one called out to me. This was just how I liked it. It must have been because it was the first day of school, but to me, there was no difference. Some familiar faces disappeared, some added. Rarely were more added, or maybe I just didn't care enough to take them into account.

But what was with all this noise? It was unnerving, and a change in schedule was not something I appreciated. Not that I couldn't make any of the necessary adjustments, but I would rather not.

Finally, I walked over to the center of all the attention. It was in our second classroom.

"Thank God, you're finally here." My head turned to the sound of his voice.

"Thank God, I am." I replied.

This was our usual hello.

Nathaniel tucked his light hair behind his ear. His eyes were golden— _golden—_ but they were clouded. He was thinking of something, I knew that much with one look at him. I knew him that well. There was an angelic look to him, and I would've mistaken him for a cherub had he not looked so flustered all the time. He often asked me how I did it, always looking so calm and collected, when we both knew fully well that the two of us were doing an equal amount of work.

It was only a joke of course. We both knew why he was so on-edge all the time. But that was only for us to know. And of course, Amber.

"What's the agenda for today?" I asked him as a formality. I knew both our schedules, and he knew mine, but we went over it anyway.

"You didn't answer my calls." Nathaniel ignored my question. He crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side inquisitively.

"Yes, I didn't." I repeated. "Anyway, at nine you have a mee—"

"There's been a change of plans." Nathaniel shook his head. "We have new students arriving today."

"W-What?" I stammered. This was not in my schedule. This was not in his schedule. This was not a fair warning either.

"Twins." Nathaniel finished.

"Twins." I repeated dumbly. "Why are there so many twins now?"

There was already Amber and Nathaniel, which was enough.

"From what I can recall, I'm the only one with a twin here." Nathaniel said. "Until today, that is."

"Well, we don't need anymore." I said curtly. "Unless they're both attractive, identical males."

"They're both girls, fraternal." Nathaniel replied. I frowned.

"Hmmph."

"Charlotte, be nice."

"That's _your_ job." I replied, picking up my clipboard. "But thank you for telling me. Should I call and move your morning meeting with Mr. Faraize to later in the afternoon? I have enough time before class to do it."

"Yes, please." Nathaniel nodded, brushing his hair out of his eyes. He had a tired look to them, and it was only the beginning of the year.

"By the way," I said. "You're making a lot of noise, I thought there was a crowd in here but it turns out it was just you."

"It wasn't just me." Nathaniel shrugged. "I was with this little guy."

He pointed at the corner, and I looked over his shoulder. It was the principal's dog.

"Oh, God." I rolled my eyes. "That thing better not get loose again."

"Yes," Nathaniel breathed. "Not if we want to avoid what happened last year."

Picture an image of Nathaniel running towards the dog, and straight into my stomach instead, having us both knocked off our feet, clipboards and pens flying. Our faces were inches apart, and never had we ever even _touched_ each other at all before. His face was red and my eyes were wide as he scrambled off me and apologized profusely. That was the day that I figured out that Nathaniel was a virgin.

"No, that would be a nightmare." I agreed.

"That's not what I meant." Nathaniel blushed. "But if you were hurt in all that, then yes, that would be a nightmare for us both."

I smirked and raised an eyebrow. While Nathaniel's cheeks were pink and his eyes drifting off to look at the floor, mine were cool and my mouth curved and collected.

"Me?" I almost laughed. "Get hurt? Please, that could never happen."

I didn't know it yet, I would figure that out much later, but there was so much irony in what I had just said.

The fact I was saying it to _him,_ of all people.

Because for the first time, damn was I wrong on absolutely all levels.

* * *

 **A/N:** Did I mention that comments make the internet worth it?


	2. 1

**Author's Note:** Ahh how I love feedback! Thank you guys! Here's the first official chapter of Say Yes

\- lostconcoctions (add me on MCL)

* * *

"Come in." The blond boy was the one who opened the door for me. We had gone to school together, but thirteen year-old girls still get unnerved at the sight of a boy. Any boy. At least, that's how Amber acted.

Not me, though. Not with this particular one.

Nathaniel Luca Truos Bristol was not the type of boy that sent girls squealing. He was tanned just like Amber, had a round face but a skinny, lanky body. He didn't have acne, his skin was rather nice for someone at the peak of puberty, but he sure had a lot of stuff in his hair. I would find a pen sticking in it one day, then the next a couple of leaves. He used to be the type of boy that always found something to do. Once, I caught him climbing up a tree with a book tucked in the back of his pants. He looked stupid, sweat dripping off his forehead as he hoisted himself up a sturdy branch. When he got up there, he wiped the sweat with the back of his forearm and pulled out the book to read. It was the Hardy Boys, and he was eleven. It was rare to find eleven year-old boys read, so I made a face when I caught this sight.

Nathaniel was wearing an old t-shirt, a faded brown color, and black denim jeans that were a size too big for him. An old black belt was looped around his waist to keep them on him, and he looked a little grimy from whatever he had been doing before I arrived. His shoes were caked in mud and looked worn out so he couldn't claim he was a neat freak.

He had only recently gotten over his bullying phase, I would know. I had witnessed the insults, the doll-breaking and/or flushing them down the toilet, the "surprise haircuts" and so on. Nathaniel was a creative one, I'll give him that. I was always at his place for a playdate with Amber, or a study date later on. Study dates were _never_ with Nathaniel. It was not because we didn't ask each other or it was forbidden, but because we were both overly proud and too competent back then to ask for a "study session." The word "date" was technically too strange to use as thirteen year-olds.

I stepped past him, not saying anything. He was much shorter than I was, the top of his head barely reaching the tip of my nose. He closed the door behind me and ran off to the backyard. There was an air of respect that we always had for each other even when we were this young. He was the top of the batch, the smartest one ever since day one, the natural-born leader, the prodigy. He was also very unruly and shy, his social skills towards girls limited to running away or picking on them. On the other hand, I was quick-witted, calm and collected when the pressures came, with my academic grades I excelled, but with debating, planning, and executing out those plans, I was good. More than good. I was great. In dealing with others, I didn't run away or bully like he did, but I knew how to talk when I needed to. I didn't particularly enjoy it, but I knew what to do. Nathaniel knew this. We both knew of our respective skills.

This was years ago. Now, things haven't changed too much. He was still opening the door for me, telling me to come in. But the faded brown shirt was gone, and so were the old jeans. Switch that with a long-sleeved polo shirt, and khaki pants. Three pens were perfectly lined in his breast pocket, always. His hair didn't have anything in it, and it wasn't just blond anymore now that he had straightened up, it was gold just like everything else. His skin was an even golden tan, his eyes were like freshly shined Egyptian coins and his hair was the same, just the same gold as the little star stickers he would receive in kindergarten over anyone in the class. He had also grown much taller than anyone expected him to. I had grown too, but now the roles were reversed. It was the top of my head that reached the tip of his nose. It was me that he would have to tilt his head slightly to speak to instead of the way he used to look up to me before. God, it was weird growing up with this boy.

I still wasn't here to see him, and he already expected this. I was to sit at the living room until Amber came in from a usual shopping spree with her mother or Li. I never took part in these shopping trips, only because there would be nothing done other than spending and gossiping, no real tasks. I had no time for that. When Amber arrived, I would help her with her homework by reminding her that it existed, then when she was done—albeit, it took a lot of prodding on my end—I would go downstairs.

Nathaniel would be in his room, studying or fixing his things, sending me a confirmation text when he got something done, or if he even went the extra mile and did something for me. That last part only happened if his Father wasn't home and he didn't have someone breathing down his neck.

Downstairs, Mrs. Bristol and I would have our usual small talk. It happened so frequently that it was not a strange thing at all anymore. Talks of the weather actually became more interesting, the conditions of our families were suddenly a real topic, politics became fun. I liked her a lot, and I knew she liked me too. It was Mrs. Bristol that reached out to me to befriend Amber. I won the spelling bee in middle school, and as the top of the class, Nathaniel handed me the trophy and was obliged to take a picture as he gave it. Mrs. Bristol was the one who snapped the picture, and they kept it on the coffee table in their living room until today. It was afterwards that she spoke to me, telling me about Amber—a spoiled and bratty little kid I knew in class. She needed some straightening up, Mrs. Bristol told me, and I looked like the type of girl that could do it without pulling her hair like her brother.

Today was the same. Every single pillow in the Bristol house—no, sorry—mansion, was stuffed with goose feathers only. This was true even for the throw pillows in the living room area. The couches here were all velvet white, so any spot or stain would be easily noticeable and efficiently cleaned up. When the sun was up, the house was gorgeously lit, with numerous of its walls made of glass, white concrete and gilded with tall windows with silver frames. The first storey flooring was mostly mahogany, the best kind, and shaved down to sharp detail that it would be near impossible to get a splinter from it even if you tried. The walls were painted mostly beige and alternating with off-white. Every time I was here I couldn't help but take in my surroundings. It was truly a beautiful home. I was even particular about the way my heels clicked, the pressure my weight was putting on the floor, as if I was scared to damage it and pay a fortune to fix it. Nathaniel walked past me with brisk steps, dragging his socked feet to the living room where I normally waited. His hair was a little tussled and his shoulders looked tense, so I knew he had just gotten home from S.A.H., probably just minutes before I arrived.

At school, I caught sight of the new twins that he was talking about, though I couldn't tell at all that they were even related except that they were both shorter than I was. Petite. I concluded from their body types and face shapes that they had a hint of Asian possibly—but which ethnicity exactly? I wasn't sure. They were definitely mixed, because their eyes were nothing like Li's, nor their lips. I knew they couldn't be purely Western, maybe half; our bodies couldn't possibly be shrunken to that size no matter how many times we tried to diet.

One was a couple of inches smaller than the other, curvy and bubbly-looking, curls in her long brown honey hair. She looked absolutely chipper and okay— _fine,_ somewhat—maybe…cute, as she navigated around the school. Something about her had obviously sparked Amber's interest, so I knew she was Bridgette Whitman before the girl had to introduce herself to me. She had a skip in her step, like she didn't have a care in the world and almost looked like she was giddy for everything. The other one looked to be the opposite of her sister. She was the taller one, lacking the curves that the other twin had. She looked kind of like a stick, with some breasts and hips that were made more visible only because her waist was even tinier. Her hair was cut short into a messy bob, with jet black locks. While Bridgette's face was made up like a pretty little porcelain doll, this one didn't seem to pay too much attention, only bothering to fix her eyebrows, slide on a lip tint and wing her liquid eyeliner on. She didn't even bother to conceal the dark circles under her eyes, no doubt from staying up too late for her own good. When I glanced to look her over, she locked eyes with me and didn't quickly look away. This was interesting because normally, my glare sent new girls scampering. This was Skylar Whitman, Li gathered. She had become the new object of Amber's bullying, but the girl's stoic expression told me that she was not one to care much for Amber's antics. I had to give her props for that. One was practically radiating with energy, the other one seemed to be ready to find a dark corner in school and snooze off. Both had matching dark eyes and fair skin, the only features that reminded me they were even sisters.

"What did you think of them?" I asked Nathaniel. Amber and her mother hadn't arrived yet. Judging by the time, they wouldn't be back for another half hour.

"Who?" Nathaniel asked. I didn't know why he did. He knew exactly what I was talking about. "The twins?"

 _See?_

I didn't reply, waiting for him to continue.

"They were fine." Nathaniel said.

"They were 'fine'?" I said smugly. "Well, Luca, your vocabulary may be shrinking. Offense intended."

"Still none taken." He frowned, leaning back against the backrest of the soft velvet couch. There was a tea set for the two of us that one of their maids had brought over before he even opened the door. Nathaniel poured the Earl Gray into teacups for the two of us. The strong aroma told me that the tea leaves infused were imported from Europe. The Bristols lived a luxurious life.

"You didn't find any of them even remotely attractive?" I joked. "Or dumb, maybe."

Nathaniel smirked, still working on the tea. He mixed in two spoons of honey for me, and four for him.

"I did." He nodded. "Attractive. Neither were dumb."

I was taken aback. I was just kidding, but he sounded serious.

"Oh, _really?_ " I cocked my head and raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"

"I can't decide yet." Nathaniel laughed. His eyes squinted and his dimples showed themselves when he did that. "They both have very different looks to them. Hard to believe they're twins."

"It's not that hard to believe." I shrugged, folding up my knitted sleeve and picking up the tea he readied for me. "The mother's egg, fertilized by two separate sp—"

"You don't have to get technical with me, Charlie." Nathaniel sipped, chuckling. "I took up the reproductive system too, you know."

"We weren't in the same class. I could never be so sure."

"Well, it was a good thing. Or we would've been at each others throats for who would be at the top."

"We have too much respect for each other to tear each other's throats out." I said, sipping the hot tea. I was right, this was definitely imported.

"Or it's possible that I have too much respect for myself that I would never get my hands dirty like that." Nathaniel chuckled.

"Hmmph." It was my signature thing to say when I didn't feel the need to reply. Sometimes, there was no point in jabbing back at Nathaniel, and vice versa. He knew that.

"What does Amber have in store today?" Nathaniel asked me, but he was leafing through a book he had in his hand.

"Trigonometry." I answered. "She's needs more tutoring time or she'll be hopeless."

"That's what you're here for, right?"

"That's what you could be doing too, Luca."

"I don't have time for that. You already know what I have to be doing with my time, Charlie."

I frowned. He was right, I knew more than I bargained for. "Fine. But I'm just letting you know, the more your sister has her daily shopping sprees and wastes time, the less hours she has with me."

"I already know. But it's not my problem." He murmured the last part. "Anyway, enough about school. How have y—"

"My _God,_ the bougainvilleas are wilting! Maria, have these changed immediately." a shrill voice moaned from the foyer, cutting off Nathaniel. Stiletto heels clicked against the wooden flooring, followed by heavy footsteps behind her. It was Mrs. Bristol.

"Just when I was about to finally relax…" Nate mumbled, stretching his arms out. He straightened himself up.

"Nathaniel." His mother stepped into view along with Amber holding big shopping bags in her arms. She was a very slim woman, with thick, plump lips that were no doubt the product of lip enhancement injections. She wore dark lipstick, and a chiffon shawl draped around her shoulders. Today, she was in an all black tube jumpsuit and dark black heels. Why Amber didn't at least inherit her fashion sense, I didn't know.

"Mother." Nate rose up, and so did I. He placed a gentle peck on her cheek. "Charlotte and I were just discussing plans for the new school year."

I bowed my head with respect and kept my hands folded in my lap. The air was suddenly thicker. "Yes, Mrs. Bristol. Nathaniel and I were thinking of some fundraisers. He already came up with an idea for a field trip."

"Charlotte already designed track suits for the students to wear."

"Nathaniel was just looking over which forests would be fit for it."

"Charlotte was thinking Pine Oaks would be a good choice."

Nathaniel and I were good at this game, whatever it was called. It was kind of like art, the way we could supply these things off the top of our heads.

"Your Father would be pleased to hear that, Nate." His mother set a hand on his shoulder.

Nathaniel winced. I looked away.

In his mothers—or actually, _anyone's_ presence, nicknames were prohibited between us. It was just an unspoken rule, I figured.

Of course, for Amber, she could call anyone whatever she pleased.

"Charry, you're early." Amber rolled her eyes at me. "Come on, help me with these bags and I can show you these new shoes I got."

"I'm not early." I glanced at my wristwatch. "You're late."

"Oh, stop being such a Nathaniel." she groaned. "You're my best friend, not my brother! Let's go!"

I sighed, grabbed my notebooks and followed her upstairs.

"Thanks for the tea, Mrs. Bristol." I said as I climbed up. I caught Nathaniel's eyes following my movements before I disappeared.


End file.
